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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The last article left out ( Iran's hobbies ) terroristic in nature.1. Throwing acid in the face of women ( terrorizing them ) for not wearing a veil.2. They killed or (terrorized) a blogger in prison.3. They cut a man's hand off or ( terrorized him ) for stealing.4. They ( terrorize ) activist's and Christians in prison every day.5. They ( terrorized this young lady) until she jumped to her death.6. Is this why M.E.K did what they did ?Blogger - Tell both sides

These were the (translated) words of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking at a conference I recently attended in Tehran. His observation was in reference to the habit of the United States & Co of decrying terrorism but then applauding terroristic behaviour when it serves their interests.

US mastery of the double standard means that, for example, the word "terrorism" is dutifully applied to situations in which planes are flown into US buildings, but not to ones in which US warships shoot down Iranian passenger jets , killing everyone on board.

A look at realityWhile Iran is portrayed in Western and Israeli circles as a relentless supporter of terrorism worldwide, the conference focused on a less politically convenient reality: that of Iran as a victim of terror.

According to Iranian calculations, more than 17,000 persons have perished as a result of terrorist operations in the country since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The majority of these were perpetrated by the anti-government Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK).

Casualties have included three-year-old Fatima Taleghani, who burned to death when MEK members set fire to her room, teenager Zeynab Kamayee, who was reportedly suffocated with her veil, and 35-year-old Dariush Rezaeinejad, one of five Iranian scientists assassinated in recent years - apparently with the help of the Israelis .

In Tehran, I spoke with Rezaeinejad's widow, Shohreh Pirani, and the couple's eight-year-old daughter, who advised her mother which family photographs to show me on the mobile phone.

A researcher and academic, as well as a deputy at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Rezaeinejad was fatally shot in July 2011. Pirani described to me the devastating psychological aftermath of witnessing the shooting, but nevertheless, she stressed the sorrow she felt for the perpetrators of the crime; terrorist acts, she said, were driven by desperation.

Other US hobbies, like drone strikes and imperialist wars, can also be pretty terroristic in nature.

'Material support'

The US government has also demonstrated sympathy for select Iranian terrorists, albeit in a far less noble fashion. In 2012, the US state department delisted the MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), despite reports of continuing terroristic activities.

Prominent journalist and constitutional lawyer Glenn Greenwalddescribed the delisting as " more vividly illustrat[ing] the rot and corruption at the heart of America's DC-based political culture than almost any episode I can recall".

While still on the FTO list, Greenwald wrote, the MEK had thrown large sums of money at an array of Democratic and Republican personalities, journalists, and other opinion shapers, who then became advocates for the organisation.

Along with previous training sessions in the US for MEK operatives, Greenwald argued that such collaborative arrangements seemed to constitute "material support" for terrorism - a felony under US law.

But the US justice system prefers to reserve this crime for hapless Muslims, like Syed Fahad Hashmi, a US citizen and Brooklyn College graduate sentenced to 15 years in prison - following several years of pre-trial solitary confinement - for allegedly providing material support to al-Qaeda.

What was the exact nature of Hashmi's "support"? Having once provided temporary accommodation in London to a man who happened to supply al-Qaeda members withsocks and rain ponchos .

The US on trial

Again, the term "double standard" comes to mind.

And it returns with a recent Wall Street Journal article titled: "Terror Victims Eye Thawing with Iran", which explains that "[o]ver the past two decades, terrorism victims have filed about 100 lawsuits against Iran in US courts", alleging Iranian sponsorship of attacks ranging from the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut to 9/11.

Citing testimonies from the victims' lawyers, the article notes that "lifting just the nuclear sanctions [against Iran] could free up billions of Iranian assets in Europe and elsewhere that victims may attempt to seize as part of their judgements".

The barracks bombing is regularly attributed to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah - which didn't officially exist at the time. If we follow the above line of reasoning, however, it appears that the US is eligible for a fairly infinite number of lawsuits - in Lebanon and beyond.

Not only did the US rush shipments of weaponry to Israel during its assault on Lebanon in 2006 - an affair that dispensed with approximately 1,200 human lives, most of them civilian - it also contributed financially and morally to Israel's sustainedterrorism in Gaza via billions of dollars in annual aid and ceaseless repetitions of the mantra that Israel is engaged in self-defence.

Standard operating procedure

Other US hobbies, like drone strikes and imperialist wars, can also be pretty terroristic in nature. Furthermore, as California-based independent researcher Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich remarked during her presentation at the conference in Tehran: economic sanctions against Iran constitute a form of "UN-sanctioned terrorism" given their detrimental effects on the well-being of innocent civilians.

One of the more glaring examples of the ruthlessness of sanctions is, of course, Iraq. Reports in 1996 that half-a-million children had so far died as a result of the policy elicited the following response from then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: "We think the price is worth it."

Indeed, when it comes to terrorising people, the "land of the free" beats the Islamic Republic, hands down. But the victory goes largely unreported in mainstream circles because double standards have become standard operating procedure.

Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin Magazine.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Monday is going to be a busy day in New York City, with thousands of Iranian protesters set to denounce the presence of the mullahs' President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations, Digital Journal wrote on Sunday.

Thousands of protesters will gather at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 11:00 am (local time) to denounce Rouhani and his presence at the United Nations, the report said.

"The vast majority of the protesters will be Iranian, or of Iranian descent, and most will represent the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), a powerful and vocal Iranian opposition group. However, these activists will be joined by prominent U.S. policy makers, including former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson," it added.

"The anti-regime movement is being spearheaded by a growing cohort of young, secular Iranians who want to see regime change in Iran. Under the umbrella of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the MEK, the next generation of the Iranian opposition has emerged as a vocal and increasingly influential group, and their primary target right now is Rouhani and the clerics he represents."

"Under Rouhani, thousands of prisoners have been executed, students have been arrested for making 'Happy' music videos, and Iran has continued to fund and supply shia militias groups that are wreaking havoc across the Middle East," the report added.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

NEW YORK, September 23. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin believes that the creative approach typical of the Americans, openness and broadness of outlooks has made it possible for the US to reach impressive results in development. He said it in an interview with the US television anchorman Charlie Rose.

CBS published a fragment of the transcript at its website. The channel will air the full interview at the weekend or the beginning of next week.

Rose asked Putin if he was treating the US like all other countries or with more curiosity.

"Are you curious about America?" he asked. "More than simply another nation that you have to deal with?"

"Of course we're curious about what's going on," Putin answered. "America exerts enormous influence on the situation in the world as a whole.

When asked about what he admired most about America, Putin said he liked the creativity.

"Creativity when it comes to your tackling problems," he said by way of explaining for the situation. "Their openness and open-mindedness because it allows them (the Americans as a nation TASS) to unleash the inner potential of their people."

"[...] thanks to that, America has attained such amazing results in developing their country," Putin said.

MOSCOW, September 24 /TASS/. It was hard for the Russian ambassador in London to convince Sir Elton John that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to talk to him by phone, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said commenting on President Putin’s telephone conversation with Elton John that took place earlier on Thursday.

"At first he [Elton John] hesitated," Peskov said. "We decided to ask Russian Ambassador to London Alexander Yakovenko to get in touch with the musician and tell him about the phone call. In the beginning, Yakovenko had certain problems to explain to the musician that he was really the Russian ambassador and that the real president of Russia wanted to talk to him," Peskov said adding the ambassador’s diplomatic skills helped him convincing Elton John.

"In this case, the president deemed it necessary to support his initiative especially after two Russian prankers had goofed on Elton John (two well-known Russian prankers disguised as Putin gave a call to Elton John last week), Peskov explained.

"The president emphasized that he would be ready to answer any questions that interest Elton John if their working schedules cross," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Peskov told journalists about Putin’s telephone conversation with Elton John. "The president gave a call to Elton John shortly after a conference," Peskov said adding Putin was the first to call the British musician.

Putin told him that he knew about the recent prank and asked Elton John not be angry with the prankers.

"Putin said he was ready to meet (Elton John) and discuss any issue which interests him if their schedules coincided," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Famous musician, signer and pianist Elton John wrote in Instagram in mid-September that he had talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone.

I would like to thank President Vladimir Putin for a telephone conversation, which we had today. I am looking forward to a vis-а-vis meeting to discuss problems of the LGBT community in Russia, Elton John wrote on his page in Instagram.

In a BBC interview, the British musician said he would like to meet Putin to discuss the living conditions of representatives of sexual minorities in Russia.

The journalists asked Peskov to confirm or refute Elton John’s post in Instagram that he had allegedly talked to the Russian president.

"No, it is not true, there has been no conversation," Peskov said noting that the presidential administration was extremely cautious (about various remarks) because of a huge number of fake messages and accounts.

Later it turned out that two Russians had goofed on the British musician.

"In case we receive such a signal / that Elton John wants to talk to the Russian leader/, in case the president receives it, he, as always, will remain open to discussing any human problems and any questions," Peskov said commenting the joke in mid-September.

Last year, Sir Elton John officially married his long-time male friend David Furnish, with whom he had lived in civil partnership for many years.